National Basketball Association

Chemistry, health key to Suns taking next step

Published Oct. 27, 2014 3:43 p.m. ET

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As the Suns look to transition from plucky upstarts to legitimate Western Conference threats, a push toward the postseason -- beginning with Wednesday's season opener against the Lakers -- depends on several issues.

Here are five:

OK, we could recommend you pay close attention to coach Jeff Hornacek's commitment to keeping two point guards on the floor at the same time. But that burden of proof was confirmed via the Suns' record of (shout it out!) 23-11 when Eric Bledsoe and Goran Dragic both started last season.

The league knows it's coming now. But preparing this salvo of speed and quickness is one thing; actually having the physical wherewithal to handle it is another.

If Bledsoe -- a subtle synthesis of bowling ball and cheetah -- can make it through this season in relatively fine fettle, Phoenix also should be in fine playoff shape. That, of course, includes a year of healthy ankles for Dragic, whose limp toward last season's finish was a killer in the final week.

Although having the mercurial Isaiah Thomas certainly is swell insurance against injury, Bledsoe's preseason work reminded us how much he accomplishes at both ends of the floor.

If Hornacek convinces Bledsoe to race the ball into the frontcourt after an opponent scores, the Suns could be even deadlier.

"We're a deep team," Hornacek said. "They have to accept that for us to be successful."

By "they," the coach means every player on a roster full of very good players and one or two others who might be slightly better than that.

Despite skewing more and more outside the traditional position categories, the Suns can't manufacture additional minutes to ease their logjam of perimeter specialists.

Gerald Green, for example, rides into this season on the formidable wings of a breakout year. But with Thomas now aboard, Green's playing time could already be spoken for -- whether it be at shooting guard or small forward.

"I'm confident that coach will be able to figure it out," said Green, who has ability to at times carry a team and finds himself in the final year of his contract.

Elsewhere, it helps that Marcus Morris always can match up against taller foes, with twin brother Markieff battling the league's smaller centers. But Miles Plumlee, Alex Len and Shavlik Randolph remain in the hunt for minutes.

And newcomer Anthony Tolliver, by virtue of his 3-point prowess, is hoping for dibs for some of the four-man minutes.

So, how does everyone remain happy?

"Winning," said Tolliver, a journeyman of many NBA locker rooms, "takes care of a lot of things."

That's a variable Hornacek will continue to stress.

"We talk about winning," the coach said. "If we're winning and they play 20 minutes, I think we'll be OK.

"These guys are competitive. They want to be out there as much as possible."

Yes, we keep the NBA trade deadline in the distant crosshairs, even as the Suns appear pleased with their roster.

But business -- fomented by the quest to make the playoffs and then win a championship -- dictates anything that can make a team better in the short and long term without compromising financial flexibility could bring change.

A lot depends on how the team's success impacts its status as a potential buyer or seller. If the team struggles a bit in the ultra-nasty Western Conference, that previously mentioned minutes logjam could be solved by a shipping out a disgruntled player or the opportunity to divest of duplicate assets to acquire an elite talent.

Please note, however, that elite talent generally isn't lobbed around the league without a major return and/or the absorption of a major salary cap hit.

The Suns, though, lack a star-caliber post player. If analytics and a deep roster provoke a move toward more outside-inside balance, something might happen.

Last season, the Suns refused to make a short-term-enhancing deal just to chase a playoff spot.

The league's new TV deal should make maintaining flexibility much easier, while the need to steer the franchise back into the postseason could alter this season's overall focus.

One year ago, most observers considered the slightly older, bigger Morris twin to be solidly on the road to "bust" status.

But after missing the opener due to a preseason-game altercation, Markieff quickly turned an offseason of work into a demonstration of how much his game improved. Almost completely eschewing the 3-point shot, Morris became formidable from the mid-post and free throw areas. His work off the bench often convinced Hornacek to keep him on the floor during stretch runs.

With Channing Frye off to Orlando, Markieff figures to move into the starting lineup. But with the team acutely aware of how the twins love playing together -- coupled with P.J. Tucker's season-opening suspension -- starting or not starting has yet to be determined.

Tolliver's 3-point threat could make him a natural to start alongside Tucker (once he returns) at forward. But if Marcus opens the season there and Markieff joins him, Hornacek may let that lineup ride. Another issue could be keeping the twins on a second unit with gunslingers Thomas and Green.

Whenever he enters the game, Markieff is prepared to take enough 3-pointers to help create space for whoever's on the floor with him. That, at least, has been encouraged by the coaching staff.

After making 3 of his first 5 during the preseason, Markieff was 1 of 4 from behind the arc Tuesday against the Lakers and missed all three 3s against the Clippers a night later.

"I've been working on it," Markieff said of the 3-pointer, "but I'm not going to fall in love with it like I did my rookie year. I'm not going to just stand out there behind the line."

Whenever his pinkie and maturation enable Alex Len to become part of the regular rotation, the franchise's highest draft pick in several seasons could become the variable that puts this team over the top.

A 7-foot-1 bundle of talent from Maryland (via Ukraine), Len can face the hoop and make jumpers, run like a much smaller guy, block shots like his size suggests and rebound with a mean streak.

In his first preseason action, Len produced three rebounds, one block and three fouls -- to go with no shot attempts from the field or free throw line -- in more than 16 minutes against the Clippers.

Until he plays his way into the rotation, the Suns have third-year athlete Miles Plumlee in the middle. Plumlee is a run-jump marvel who works hard to show on ball screens and rotate over to block shots. He can roll to the rim and dunk lobs like a superhero, but his jump hook and face-up game continue to sit in the work-in-progress bin.

Despite being the talk of training camp, Len's development isn't exactly fast-tracking right now. And NBA teams aren't giving away top-tier centers.

So, among things to watch for the Suns, we're advising everyone to keep thinking small.

Follow Randy Hill on Twitter

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